“Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward in the same direction.”

This quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is from his book Terre des Hommes (translated into English as Wind, Sand and Stars). I love the original French too: “Aimer, ce n’est pas se regarder l’un l’autre, c’est regarder ensemble dans la même direction.”

Romance is so often portrayed as gazing, hypnotised, into each others’ eyes. But for me, it’s all about sharing an experience, an outlook, a dream, a life together. I love travelling with Pete because we can share the joys of what we see and do and discover.

Do you travel with your Significant Other? Does this statement ring true for you?

I loved the silhouettes of this couple who were visiting the Macau Tower at the same time as us, during our day trip to Macau. I was drawn to the view laid out before them, they and it both framed by the internal architecture of the tower, and their quiet shared appreciation of it.

That´s a very lovely and true quote. If you walk beside each other without looking at the same direction you may loose each other or eventually fall down a metaphorical cliff. One needs to remind onesefl to have a common goal or pupose to make a relationship work.Thanks for sharing!

I love this quote. I think the perfect travel / life companion isn’t the one you walk on the exact same path as (we all have our own life lessons to learn), but the one who walks in the same direction (or looking in the same direction as per the quote). I am lucky to have found that person. I think your photo sums it up beautifully too.

Well, we have a situation here ;-): My blog ist called bye:myself since I love to travel by myself (and saying bye to my usual self). So unfortunately I belong to another club – which is fine. Everybody should feel comfortable and pick the way it suits her or him. However, happy travels!

I love the idea of doing a quote tuesday! How long have you been doing it for? My favorite quote by the same author is: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. 🙂

Don’t get me wrong. I love solo travel, but sharing travel experiences with a loved one is great. When everyone else in your life listens to your travel stories and their eyes glaze over, your partner’s will not. It’s those experiences that you shared together that only the two of you understand.

It sounds better in french. The meaning is a bit lost in the English sentence, not that the translation is wrong, it just feels differently in the original language. Don’t you think? 🙂
And yes I like to travel with my better half.

More than anything, I wish I was traveling with my significant other. I just haven’t found them yet. When I was in Chiang Mai, I found an amazing, boutique cafe where a couple were each sitting in a big lounge chair, reading a book. Their eyes weren’t glued to each other, but you could tell the connection between them was rock solid. Or the time I saw a couple sitting on a secluded bench on a hill overlooking Kosovo. They were just holding hands and gazing out at the city while fireflies danced around them. Pure magic!

I agree that romance is about sharing an experience with a significant other. I used to be a solo traveler though now that we’re married we travel together. You don’t always have to share the same interests, and many times we allow alone time on our trips, but I think you do have to share the same goals and the wish to create joint memories in pursuit of a shared life.

Exactly so, we don’t share all the same interests but we compromise by both visiting things the other is interested in and also having some alone time now and then, mostly so I can rest and Pete who needs less will go and explore more.

There is definitely romance in looking into each other’s eyes, but as you mention, it is definitely more important look towards common dreams and goals that are sure to result in better bonding and sharing.

Your totally rings true with my girlfriend and I. It’s so much better to share experiences together and enjoy things in each others company. It really makes for a more memorable experience, especially compared to if I was just on my own. Plus, sharing the memories down the road also helps to make you remember some of the better times you had! Thanks for the quote – i’ll be stopping by every tuesday for more! 🙂